In the seventh episode of our series on the Fruit of the Spirit, we analyze the characteristics of the word Humble or Humility in Hebrew, 'Anav'. Follow along with our show notes and review any references at the bottom. Enjoy!

Anav (עָנָו) 

‘Humble’

Defining Anav (עָנָו):

• How anav is translated according to Strongs:
  • meek (13x), humble (5x), poor (5x), lowly (2x), very meek (1x). 

(Strong, 2022)

• Afflicted/downtrodden in the sense that one who is anav is in a humble place and may be walked over.

Usage and lessons of the word from scriptures:

• Now the man Moses was very humble, more so than anyone on the face of the earth. (Numbers 12:3) וְהָאִישׁ מֹשֶׁה ענו מְאֹד מִכֹּל הָֽאָדָם אֲשֶׁר עַל־פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָֽה

הָאֲדָמָֽה

עַל־פְּנֵי

אֲשֶׁר

הָֽאָדָם

מִכֹּל

מְאֹד

ענו

מֹשֶׁה

וְהָאִישׁ

Ha’adamah

al-panim

Asher

Ha’adam

M’kol

M’od

Anav

Moshe

V’ha’ish

[of] the earth

[were] on the face

which

the man[kind]

[among] all

very

[was] humble

Moses

And the man

• This should direct our memory immediately to the Genesis 1-3 story, and the first of humankind “Adam” and the fact that in that story the man (Note: Ha’adam, ish v’isha shows up in ha’adam’s poem)

“The nature of this process is perhaps best summed up in the singular description the Torah gives of him: “Moses was very humble, more than any human being on the face of the earth” (Num. 12:3). The Hebrew formulation—kol ha-adam—suggests not simply that he was the humblest man, but that his humility transcended the human range. Moses’ essential difference from the whole of humanity lay in his “humility,” his anava.” (Zornberg, 2016)

• Moses is the only human that is specifically called anav in this way by the Lord.

Significance of the Hebrew “avon” (עֲוֺן) as a “twisting” of anav (עָנָו).

• The man was placed in the garden to be representative of God, but he twisted his purpose.

Use in the Psalms:

• Sing praises to Adonai, who dwells in Zion. Declare His deeds among the peoples. 13 He who avenges blood remembers. He will not forget the cry of the anavim… 19 For the needy will not forever be forgotten, nor the hope of the anavim perish forever. (Psalm 9:12, 13, 19)

All these references show us that God has a special consideration for those who are anav.  Also that they are uniquely able to receive what He gives

New Covenant 

The word “meek” comes from the word Praus/Prautes

• Xenophon of Athens (c. 430 BC) primarily used praus in various forms to describe the behavior and training of horses, but also described men having the same quality.  It seems that he used it to mean “even-tempered” or “tame”

“Now we praise a man who feels anger on the right grounds and against the right persons, and also in the right manner and at the right moment and for the right length of time. He may then be called gentle-tempered (praus), if we take gentleness (praotēs) to be a praiseworthy quality—for ‘gentle’ (praus) really denotes a calm temper, not led by emotion but only becoming angry in such a manner, for such causes and for such a length of time as principle may ordain although the quality is thought rather to err on the side of defect, since the ‘gentle-tempered man’ (praus) is not prompt to seek redress for injuries, but rather inclined to forgive them.” (Rackhman, 1934)

• “Blessed are the praus, for they shall inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:5)

Howard, G. (1995). Hebrew Gospel of Matthew. Macon, GA: Mercer University Press.

Rackhman, H. (. (1934). Aristotle in 23 volumes, volume 19. London: Harvard University Press.

Strong, J. (2022, 07 21). Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved from Blue Letter Bible: https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h2617/kjv/wlc/ss0/0-1

Zornberg, A. G. (2016). Moses, A Human Life. New Haven: Yale University Press.